doi: 10.1186/s40880-016-0162-7

Implications of vessel co-option in sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma

Elizabeth A. Kuczynski and Robert S. Kerbel

Sunnybrook Research Institute

[Abstract] The reason why tumors generally have a modest or transient response to antiangiogenic therapy is not well understood. This poses a major challenge for sorafenib treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) where alternate therapies are lacking. We recently published a paper entitled “Co-option of liver vessels and not sprouting angiogenesis drives acquired sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma” in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, providing a potential explanation for this limited benefit. We found that in mice bearing HCCs that had acquired resistance to sorafenib, tumors had switched from using angiogenesis for growth to co-opting the liver vasculature by becoming more invasive. Accumulating evidence suggests that many human tumor types may use vessel co-option, which has profound implications for the use of anti-angiogenic agents for cancer treatment.

Chinese Journal of Cancer 2016, Volume: 35, Issue 12

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Elizabeth A. Kuczynski and Robert S. Kerbel. Implications of vessel co-option in sorafenib-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma. Chin J Cancer. 2016, 35:97. doi:10.1186/s40880-016-0162-7


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